Proof Frontier Project: Thomas Higham

Posted on by Kirsten Atkinson

Iceland by @TomKatt 

Let me start out by saying, Iceland literally exceeded all my expectations in every category.

 

We arrived in Reykjavik and the first thing we did was rent a car. A lot of travelers use the bus system / tour guides, but we had been advised that having your own car is a MUST when exploring Iceland. 

Our first Airbnb was in Southern Iceland near Selfoss. It was this tiny little home out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by sheep and miles of beautiful Icelandic views. Jet Lag is definitely real when visiting Iceland especially due to the early sunset times in the winter / fall. 

 

Honestly we had our trip planned out on locations we wanted to shoot at. So basically the most picturesque spots. The Glacier Lagoon was on our list, but it is kind of out of the way. We went anyway, and OMG. It turned out to be one of my personal favorite spots. It was about a two hour drive, we stopped and hiked for a few minutes, and bam, a huge Lagoon full of giant glaciers. The colors were amazing and the air was so still. It was truly magical. I recommend getting there right as the sun is coming up. Great for photos obviously, but there was no one else there at first light! You can sleep later ;) 

 

Skogafoss is the most famous place to visit in Iceland. It is the massive waterfall that I'm sure you've seen on Instagram. We spent a lot of time here. Hiking to the top of Skogafoss is for sure worth it and isn't too difficult. I absolutely was in awe by the power of this waterfall. There is so much water pouring over the cliff you can literally feel its power. We got the shot we wanted because of a lot of patience and effort. There will always be a lot of people at Skogafoss, but my tip is to visit just before sunset.

 

The city of Reykjavik we were told wasn't worth a whole day to visit, but I disagree. I found the city to be amazing with really interesting/trendy restaurants and fashion forward shopping. I loved touring Reykjavik. A must is to go out one night in the city, the night life is safe and very entertaining.

 

Our second Airbnb was called "The Black House" I can't even begin to explain how thrilled I was with this place. It was basically straight out of a Restoration Hardware Ad. We arrived at night and just as we were pulling into the driveway we were welcomed by the Northern Lights. Apparently October - Jan is the best time to see them and a clear night is a must. I was blown away by how vibrant the sky was with green lights shifting and swirling in the sky. I guess you could say, check mark on a bucket list item. We settled into the new Airbnb and couldn't believe how well it had been designed and decorated. Later I read how Icelandic design is actually very modern and popular, we just don't recognize it as Icelandic. 

 

Blue Lagoon. So both mistakes I made on this Icelandic adventure came with the Blue Lagoon visit. It is located right next to the airport and requires a ticket booked and bought in advance, who knew?! So I would have done this first thing upon arrival and obviously purchased my ticket in advance. A ticket is about $90 but it's a must. The Blue Lagoon is very clean and it's facilities were beyond what I expected. Plan a whole half day to soak in the pools. 

 

Overall Iceland is the most unique and beautiful place I have ever visited. Even traveling from each site was amazing views and breath taking natural beauty. The culture is so friendly and welcoming and I will for sure be making plans to go back. 

 

Be sure to check out @tomkattt for more adventures on Instagram!

 

 

Posted under: #prooffrontierproject, Blog

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